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Directions:  Trailheads are accessible from Highway 89 on the west shore of Lake Tahoe via Alpine Meadows Road, Squaw Valley Road, Ward Creek Boulevard, Blackwood Canyon Road, and Barker Pass Road. Many of the trailheads and trails accessing the wilderness are on private land. Please respect the rights of landowners. |
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Notes:
Five Lakes: These Five Lakes have had a historical interest to the area. They lie within a glacial bowl with only a few feet of elevation difference to them. They were a destination site for fishing going back to the early 1900's with a cabin built for guests and row boats provided. They form the headwaters of Five Lakes creek which flows into the Rubicon and Hells Hole Reservoir. The lakes were stocked with both Brookies and Rainbows up until the mid 1990's . The largest lake still contains a nice population of Rainbows. Brookies in the other smaller lakes. Middle Fork American River: Contains small Rainbow fingerlings within the headwaters above Picayune Creek. Picayune Valley: This is sort of a mini Yosemite with Glacial waterfalls and polished granite domes. It is also a rainbow spawning stream for the MF American river. The name Picayune comes from the Gold Rush days when miners explored this area for gold and found the pickings very thin, so thin that they named the valley after a 5 cent coin, the Picayune. The valley has a long history of grazing from cattle and sheep. It was spared a dam proposal in 1913. The valley contains many artifacts of Native American pictoglyphs, so keep your eyes sharp. Contains Rainbows. Mildred Lakes: Fishless Little Needle Lake: Fishless Whiskey Creek: A small population of Brookie fingerlings. Above the confluence of Whiskey Creek and Five Lakes Creek, where the two trails meet, is the Whiskey Creek Camp which was built in 1954 by the Ibarra brothers, Basque sheepherders. The structures include a small bunkhouse, storage building and oven. Five Lakes Creek: Small population of Brookies fingerlings that get larger in size and numbers as the creek approaches Bear Pen Creek. Rubicon River: The Rubicon River used to be known as the South Fork of the Middle Fork of the American River. Above Hell Hole Reservoir, the Rubicon has Rainbows, Browns, and Brookies. McKinstry Lake: Shallow lake subject to winter kill of fish. May have Brookies. Ellis Lake: (8200 feet elev) Might have Brookies. | |
Fishing RegulationsAmerican River, Middle Fork, and their tributaries above Folsom Lake (Placer, El Dorado, Amador and Alpine cos.): Last Saturday in Apr. through Nov. 15. No restrictions. 5 trout per day. 10 trout in possession Truckee River (Placer Co.): Last Saturday in Apr. through Nov. 15. No restrictions. 5 trout per day. 10 trout in possession. Rubicon River: Last Saturday in Apr. through Nov. 15. No restrictions. 5 trout per day. 10 trout in possession. All Lakes and Reservoirs: Open all year. No restrictions. 5 trout per day. 10 trout in possession. All other creeks and tributaries: Last Saturday in Apr. through Nov. 15. No restrictions. 5 trout per day. 10 trout in possession.
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The Granite Chief Wilderness was designated a Wilderness area in 1984 because of its pristine nature, natural beauty, and primitive, non-motorized recreational opportunities. Located on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, the Granite Chief Wilderness is managed by the Tahoe National Forest. This 25,680 acre wilderness offers beautiful valley meadows and spectacular 9000 foot granite peaks. Fees are not presently required for day or overnight use in the Granite Chief Wilderness. Wilderness Permits are not presently required for day or overnight use in the Granite Chief Wilderness.